Jacob mbeeitt and aechibald foed



" (No Model.) I

' J. MERRITT 8a A. FORD.

Gas Regulator;

No. 237.034 Pa tqnted Jan. 25,1881;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB MERRITT AND AROHIBALD FORD, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

GAS- REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,034, dated January 25, 1881,

Application filed November 4, 1880. (No model.)

Toall whom it may concern Be it known that we, JACOB MERRITT and ARGHIBALD FORD, of the city and county of San Francisco, Stateof California, have invented an Improvement in Gas-Regulators; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and. exact description thereof.

()ur invention relates to certain improvements in gas-regulators; and our improvement is especially applicable to a regulator for which Letters Patent were issued to G. A. Fenn and R. Groeninger in December, 1876, and September, 1877.

Our invention consists in an inverted convex protruding plate surrounding the stem, and projecting beyond the edge of the pipe or passage leading to the valve, so that all drip from above is kept from the valve.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of our invention, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the regulator, showing our improvements. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the Valve.

A is the case within which the diaphragm B is secured around its periphery, and also to a central valve-stem, G, in a manner similar to that described in the above-mentioned patents. The valve D is secured to the lower part of the stem, and moves vertically with it and within the chamber E.

The gas enters at F, and, passing through i the valve-opening and the passage or pipe G,

it enters the space in the case Abelow the regulating-diaphragm, and flows thence through the pipe H. In the passage of the gas through this apparatus considerable moisture is condensed, which, in the former construction of the regulator, was allowed to flow directly down the passage G, so that it would impede the action of the Valve. In our invention we continue the sides of this passage up, as shown at I, to a point higher than the bottom of the pipe H, so that moisture condensing within the space below the diaphragm will be retained in the chamber surrounding the pipe G until it has attained a depth which will allow it to flow off through the pipe H. This prevents any overflow into the valve-chamber, as the top of the extension is higher than the highest point which can be attained by the liquid.

Upon the stem 0, at a point a little below the diaphragm, is fixed a circular disk, J, with its upper surface made convex. This disk is of greater diameter than the passage G, and all the moisture which condenses upon the lower surface of the diaphragm, and which would ordinarily flow down the valve-stem and into the val ve-chamber, is arrested by this convex disk and carried off, so as to fall into the chamber surrounding the passage. The valve is thus relieved of all difficulty arising from the condensation and flow of moisture, and will act .freely and properly at all times.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- The gas-regulator having the inlet-pipe G, projecting upward into the diaphragm-chamber, as shown, in combination with the convex disk or plate J, secured to the valve-stem, and projecting beyond the diameter of the inletpipe, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

JACOB MERRITT. [L.s.] ARUHIBALD FORD. [LS-j Witnesses:

F. W. LUDovIcT, M. J. AMIcK. 

